Italian pundits wonder if Roberto Mancini's personality will be able to handle Manchester City's dressing room.

Mancini famously fell out with Adriano while in charge of Inter Milan.

"Dealing with players who are difficult, uncooperative and sullen will not be a problem for him," said one well-placed source in Italy to the Daily Mail yesterday. "Because he was like that as a player.

"He was a miserable, aloof-seeming guy on the outside and very difficult to get to know. It's only when you get to know him that you realise what a good person he is.

"He had (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic at Milan once and used to laugh about how he didn't mind him being such an idiot because he used to be the same himself.

"He can be a shouter and a biter, but he is clever. He will motivate players and over time they will respect him and like him."